Automatic weighing apparatus.



P.` BDTBAUER. AUTOMATIC WBIGHIANG APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED FER-6, 1908.

Patented Nov. 17,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1^.y

P. EDTBAUER. AUTOMATIC WEIGHING APPARATUS..

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1908.

Patented Nov. 1'?, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PETRONELLA EDTBAUER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC WEIGHING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed February 6, 1908. Serial No. 414,568.

T 0 all whom it. may concern:

Be it known that I, PETRONELLA EDTBAUER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Weighing Apparatus, of which the following is a clear, full, and exact description.

My invention relates to automatic weighing apparatus, that is particularly adapted for use where it is desired to weigh out large numbers of packages containing the same weight or the same commodity.

The object of my invention is to do this weighing rapidly and correctly, with no more personal attention than is required to reset the gravity-controlled valve-plate after one weighing operation has been completed and the weighed package removed and replaced by another empty package or receptacle. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a longitudinal section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper portion thereof showing the hopper closed. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a fragment of my invention showing, on a larger scale, the mechanism for transmitting the action of the scales to the means employed to close the discharge opening of the hopper. Fig. t is a perspective view of another fragment of the mechanism directly controlling the action of said closure means. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of another fragment of the machine, illustrating said closure mechanism itself.

In the drawings, A represents a funnelshaped hopper which is supported in any suitable manner by a frame B, and the lower end of which has a tubular extension a, whose lower edges are inclined from front to rear at an angle of say about fifty degrees more or less and is opened and closed by a gravity operated sliding valve-plate C. This extension a is provided with a widened mouth a formed by making a supplemental wall skirting the sides and reai edges and extends below the lower end of said extension so that plate C can operate during its closing movement without obstruction. This valve-plate C has a sliding engagement with the lower edges of this supplemental wall and the forward edge thereof is provided with a cross-bar or strip c, the broad side of which is at right angles to that of said plate and has its ends extended a suitable distance beyond the longitudinal side edges thereof. J ust beyond the sides of the hopper, the ends of cross-bar c have guide-rods D secured thereto that extend to the rear therefrom parallel with the adjacent side edges of plate C, and slide in bearings in the ends of brackets d secured to and projecting from the sides of the extension of the hopper near its lower end. Below the hopper and supported by suitable brackets projecting from the side-frame is a funnel G into which the commodity falls after leaving said hopper and which has its discharge opening immediately over the weighing platform 2 of the scales 3.

A suitable distance below the discharge end of the hopper I provide a transverse rock-shaft E, which is journaled in a suitable position in the sides of the supportingframe, and has a pair of arms F, F, projecting therefrom at points outside the vertical planes of the sides of the extension a. The free ends of these arms are pivotally connected to the lower rear ends of suitable connecting-rods e, e, the upper forward ends of which latter pass through suitable eularged openings in the extremities of the cross-bar c and are provided with a button or disk e so as to permit a slightly loose play of the forward end of the rods in said opening. Arms F are maintained in a substantially upright position so as to keep the valve-plate C at the limit of its upward movement by means of the pawl f projecting at right angles to arms E from the same boss which extends to the rear and are supported upon shoulder 7L of the upright branch g of a bell-crank that is pivotally secured to and projects up from a boss that is journaled on a pivotal stud projecting horizontally inwards from the adjacent sides of the supportingframe B. The other branch 71 of this bell-crank projects forward at right angles to branch g and its forward end is enlarged and provided with an opening 7.a up through which the upper end of a vertical rod I extends and has a limited independent vertical movement. The lower end of this rod extends down to a point below the plane of the platform EZ of the scale, and is pivotally connected to the rear end of a rock-bar J, and when it is moving longitudinally upwardly a disk a secured on its upper portion below branch 7c of the bellcrank, will come in contact with said branch and rock the same suiiicient to withdraw the shoulder it from under the extremity of the pawl f and thereby permit the weight of the plate C to cause it to gravitate downwards and close the discharge-opening at the lower end of the hopper A. Rock-bar J is fulcrumed media-te its ends to posts K, and the longer branch thereof opposite that to which rod I is connected, is provided with a suitable weight IV, and has its end portion rest upon an arm j secured to and projecting from a post L, on the upper end of which platform 2 of the lscale is mounted.

Then the weight of the commodity discharged from the hopper into the receptacle provided therefor, is sufficient to move Aplatform 2 of the scales downwards, arm j moves away from the rock-bar and permits the adjacent end to fall so that the rear branch thereof moves upwardly and lifts the connecting-rod, whereupon the valve-plate C operates to closel the hopper as above described. After the package has been removed from the scales, the rock-bar E is rotated by turning` the handle X by hand, and the scales will then resume their original position, causing arm g to move upwards so that the extremity of pawl can rest upon the shoulder i again, and cause the machine to repeat the weighing operation.

A short distance above the valve-plate C t-he lower end of the extension of the hopper is provided with a eut-off valve N, ensisting of a rectangular plate that engages the lower inclined edges of t-he extension of the hopper. In order to maintain the valve in engagement with said edges the upper edge thereof is provided with a transverse fiat strip M from the outer extremities of which project suitable guide-rods m. These guide-rods are adapted to slide in bearings formed of pipes m secured to the side-walls of the extension above the bearings for the valve-plate which are similarly constructed. This valve is moved to regulate the size of the discharge opening, by means of a link a connecting its forward edge to an arm 0 projecting from a rock-shaft O, which latter is turned by means of an index arm (not shown) secured to its end outside of the support-ing-frome, substantially as shown in th automatic weighing machine, for which Let ters Patent of t-he United States were granted to me June 18, 1907, Number 857,164. As explained in the description of said Letters Patent, this regulating of the size of the discharge opening of the hopper, is necessary, in view of the peculiar qualities of the particular commodity being weighed. I do not desire to be understood as claiming any particular novelty in this cut-oli1 N, however.

What I claim as new is 1. In a machine of the kind specified a hopper having a discharge opening the mouth of which is expanded, an adjustable discharge regulating device above said expanded mouth, and means for opening and closing the expanded portion of said mouth below said regulating device.

In a machine of the kind specilied a hopper having a discharge opening the mouth of which is expanded, an adjustable discharge regulating device above said expanded mouth, and means for opening and closing the expanded portion of said mouth below said regulating device.

3. .In a machine of the kind specified a hopper having a discharge opening the mouth of which is expanded, an adjustable discharge regulating device above said expanded mouth, and inclined means for opening and closing the expanded portion of said mouth below said regulating device.

`l. In a machine of the kind specified a hopper having a discharge opening the mouth of which is expanded, a discharge regulating device above said expanded mouth, and gravity closed means for opening and closing said mouth below said regulating device.

5. In a machine of the kind specified a hopper having a discharge opening the edges of which are inclined, a discharge regulating device above said inclined edges and inclined gravity closed means operating across the discharge opening below said regulating device.

G. In a machine of the kind specified a hopper having a discharge opening the mouth of which is expanded and the edges thereof extended, a discharge regulating device above said expanded mouth, and means for opening' and closing said mouth below said regulating device.

7. In a machine of the kind specified a hopper having bearings projecting from the lower edge of the sides of the same, a discharge regulating plate above the discharge opening of said hopper the forward edges of which are extended laterally, guide-rods the forward ends of which are connected to said extended edge and move in said bearings, and means for opening and closing the mouth of the hopper below said regulating device.

S. In a machine of the kind specified a hopper having bearings project-ing from the lower edge of the sides of the same, a discharge regulating plate above the discharge opening of said hopper the forward edges of which are extended laterally, guide-rods the forward ends of which are connected to said extended edge and move in said bearings, and gravity closed means for opening and closing the mouth of the hopper below said regulating device.

9. In a machine of the kind specified a hopper the lower edges of the mouth of which are inclined having bearings projecting from the sides thereof; a discharge regulating plate above the discharge openl ing of said hopper the forward edges of, which are extending laterally, guide-rods the forward ends of which are connected to said g extended edge and move in said bearings l and gravity closed means for opening and j closing the mouth of the hopper below said l regulating device. l

10. ln a machine of the kind specified a l hopper having a discharge opening therein l having bearings projecting from the lower j edge of the sides of the same, a discharge I regulating device above said opening, a slidl ing plate valve adapted to automaticallyl close said discharge opening the forward; edges of which plate are extended laterally, l and guide-rods the forward ends of which are connected to said extended edge and move in said bearings.

11. In a machine of the kind specified a l hopper having a discharge opening therein, j scales the weighing platform of which is bel low said discharge opening, a gravit-y slidj ing plate-valve for closing said dischargel opening, a rock-shaft adjacent to said valve and operatively connected thereto, a rockj bar and devices connecting said rock-bar and scales whereby the movement of said scales causes said valve to be released and closed j by its own weight. 12. In a machine of the hind specified a j hopper having a discharge opening therein, g scales the weighing platform of which is bel low said discharge opening a gravity slidl ing plate-valve for closing said discharge]l opening having its bearings outside of said i hopper, a rock-shaft adjacent to said valve and operatively connected thereto, a rockbar and devices connecting said rock-bar and i scales whereby the movement of said scales j causes said valve to be released and closed j by its own weight. l

13. ln a machine of the kind specified a hopper having a discharge opening therein, scales having their weighing platform below said opening, a sliding plate valve in said discharge opening, a rock-shaft, an arm thereon maintained in an upright position and actuated during the downward movement of the weighing platform of said scales, and a rod connecting said plate valve and arm.

14. In a machine of the kind specilied a hopper having a discharge opening` therein, scales having their weighing said openinO', a sliding plate-valve in said discharge opening, a rock-shaft, an arm mounted on said shaft having a pawl projecting transversely therefrom, a bell-crank one of the members of which normally engages and supports said pawl, means connecting said arm and plate valve, and devices operatively connecting said bell-crank and the weighing platform of said scales.

15. ln a machine of the kind speciied, a hopper having a discharge opening therein, an adjustable discharge regulating device above said opening, and inclined means for opening and closing said discharge opening below said regulating device.

16. ln a machine of the kind specilied, a hopper having a discharge opening therein, an adjustable discharge regulating device above said opening, and inclined gravity closed means for opening and closing said discharge opening below said regulating device.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand and seal this 1st day of February A. D. 1908.

rnraoNELLi taratura. [1.. a]

litnesses FRANK D. T-IOMAsoN, E. K. LUNDY.

platform below 

